A popular shopping mall in Johor Bahru (JB), Malaysia, was evacuated in the evening of Oct. 14 after an alleged bomb scare.

What happened

According to the Malay Mail, shoppers in Mid Valley Southkey mall, which is about a 15-minute drive from the Causeway, were told to evacuate after an alarm was triggered at about 6:40pm.

An eyewitness told the Malay Mail that guards were shouting to move shoppers out of the mall to the nearby open-air carpark.

He added that they were initially "not that alarmed" as guards mentioned that it was "just a gas leak". They later heard that there was apparently a bomb. He estimated that there were more than 1,000 people waiting for authorities to declare the area safe.

Speaking to Mothership, Lorbin Ho shared footage from the incident, saying that he was eating when restaurant staff asked them to evacuate due to a fire at about 7:15pm.

Ho added:

"Crowds [were] evacuating the mall in an orderly manner. With fireman stationed at every [turn]. But information was limited as to what was going on.

The waiter only told us, “FIRE, FIRE, GO NOW. GO NOW”."

After evacuating, he heard others mentioning that there was a bomb in the building.

The matter is now reportedly "in the hands of the police", according to Malay Mail.

Singaporeans advised to exercise caution

The Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and Consulate-General in JB issued a joint statement on Oct. 14, stating that they are "aware of reports that visitors to the Mid Valley Southkey Mall and St Giles Hotel in Johor Bahru have been asked to evacuate temporarily due to alleged security and safety concerns."

They reminded Singaporeans in the vicinity to "exercise caution, monitor the local news, and heed the instructions of the local authorities", and to register online with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) if they have not done so.

Singaporeans who require urgent consular assistance can contact the Consulate-General at +60 19 791 1166 or the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at 6379 8800, or  6379 8855.

Top photos courtesy of Lorbin Ho